WALES left Sydney this week with their dignity intact but passing them over the Tasman Sea was an England team which showed in Wellington that its ranking of No 1 in the world was not misplaced.

WALES left Sydney this week with their dignity intact but passing them over the Tasman Sea was an England team which showed in Wellington that its ranking of No 1 in the world was not misplaced.

They will arrive in Australia for the World Cup next October as the firm favourites.

I sent Lawrence Dallaglio a text message on Sunday to congratulate him on what was without question a magnificent achievement.

He sent a reply which said he was sitting with Dorian West and with a plate of oysters and a bottle of chardonnay in front of him.

The England players had been given the day off and told to relax in whatever manner they saw fit and in a sense that showed why they are now at the top of the tree.

They have the experience, the ability and a strong coaching team but the players are treated as adults and the fruits are there for all to see.

The Wales team defied those who felt they would get routed in Sydney with a gutsy display. It was all the more commendable because of what had gone on the previous week following their late arrival at Heathrow, but it was again a case of individuals earning praise rather than the whole side - the exact opposite of England.

Wales are on the right track, of that I have no doubt, but Steve Hansen is right when he says salvation is probably two or three years away.

The trouble is he is only echoing what his predecessors since 1988 have said - they all wanted time but few were given it.

I made my debut in 1991 and Ron Waldron was saying then it would take at least a couple of years for his ideas to work but within a few months he was gone.

Hansen bangs on about performances counting for more than results because he is only too aware the last time a Wales coach served out his full term was back in the 1970s.

England have won 12 Tests in a row while Wales have lost seven on the bounce. The two countries are on a collision course to meet in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brisbane, as they did in 1987, but it is hard to see a repeat result of that day when Wales won 16-3.

England's victory in Wellington was based on the supremacy of their forwards and an outstanding defence which saw New Zealand struggle to get over the gain line.

There is an assumption that the All Blacks will take out their revenge on Wales with one commentator there describing us this week as "easy-beats" but there is one element to our game which has improved considerably in the last year.

We are competitive in the set-pieces and have a front row to ask questions of New Zealand as well as a more than useful line-out. Where we need to improve is in our first-up tackling, which was not good enough in Sydney, and in retaining possession.

Our pace behind is much vaunted but we failed to make any real use of it against the Wallabies and Mark Taylor is clearly concerned about those around him.

What I struggle to understand is why Clive Griffiths, Wales' defence coach, was left at home. He has become marginalised since Hansen replaced Graham Henry but the weekend showed defences win matches.

The All Blacks were playing their first international since the Super 12 series and some players who had made their reputations in that tournament struggled when they were put under pressure.

Wales missed 20 per cent of their tackles against Australia compared to the Wallabies' 10 per cent. Modern international rugby is not so much about what you do when you have the ball.

It is about getting stuck into the opposition when they are in possession and there is no better side around in that department than England who even kept New Zealand out when Lawrence and Neil Back were sitting in the sin-bin.

England have a core of players who have been around for a long time: Dallaglio, Back, Martin Johnson, Jason Leonard, Graham Rowntree, Richard Hill, Kyran Bracken and Will Greenwood are all in their 30s and it makes it easier for a newcomer when he gets into the side.

Wales, in contrast, have seen a number of experienced 30-somethings retire from international rugby in the last couple of years and youngsters have been thrown in at the deep end.

Taylor is the one back over the age of 30, but his know-how is partly diluted by the fact he is playing out of position at inside centre.

Wales have the pack to ensure it is not a horror show in Hamilton, but the defence has to improve considerably on Sydney. Sides play in different ways and while Australia like to attack around the fringes, the All Blacks thrive on getting the ball out wide quickly.

England stopped them doing that and Wales have to follow suit.

If they miss 20 per cent of their tackles again, they will not get away with a 20-point defeat and stirring individual performances will not be enough.